


Driving

by alltheSinnersandalltheSaints



Series: One Shot Compilation [6]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Anxious Peter Parker, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FUCK endgame, Family, Fluff, Irondad, M/M, Multi, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Precious Peter Parker, References to Depression, Stony - Freeform, Superfamily, Superhusbands, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheSinnersandalltheSaints/pseuds/alltheSinnersandalltheSaints
Summary: Tony shushed his protégé, smiling affectionately at the flustered teen he’d grown to love so much. “Kiddo,” he rested a hand on Peter’s bony shoulder in an attempt to ground him. “It’s fine,” Tony assured. “You didn’t break the car, and you can still drive it. The wheel is just… a little messed up. No biggie.”“A little messed up?” Peter looked at Tony incredulously. “No, biggie!”
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: One Shot Compilation [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720873
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	Driving

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write something soft and this is what I came up with. Am I self-projecting a little? Yes. Did I write this because I feel bad about myself? Yes. Do I want a hug? Yes. But am I going to ask someone for a hug? No. 
> 
> I wish the Marvel and DC multiverses were real. They’re my escape from reality.

“You ready, kiddo?” Tony asked as he shut the passenger side door of his Egyptian-blue Bentley. He wore plain civilian clothes consisting of jeans, sneakers, an AC/DC t-shirt stained with grease, and an MIT sweatshirt. There was no need to wear any of his annoying-as-hell suits Pepper always made him wear during galas and press events. Not when he was just teaching his kid how to drive.

Peter held the steering wheel in an iron grip, his nerves going haywire as he examined all of the buttons and controls on the dashboard. His anxiety rose when he realized that this car was undoubtedly worth more than his entire apartment and everything in it. Including May’s car, a small Nissan from 1999 that had countless knicks and dents maring its sun-faded red paint.

Being incredibly poor, the Parkers didn’t have many belongings, none of which were expensive or high-end. Even while Ben was alive, they barely scraped by, living paycheck to paycheck more often than not. It was even worse now that it was only May and him. But he tried to push those depressing facts from his mind as he focused on the brand-new and probably insanely-expensive car he was going to drive straight into New York traffic during the middle rush-hour and probably crash because he only drove in a parking lot once before and had just gotten his permit and-

“Woah there, kiddo.” Tony gently poked Peter’s shoulder, chuckling at Peter’s nervous demeanor. “Ease up on the wheel. It isn’t going anywhere.” The teen’s powers and immense strength were unmatched by almost anyone or anything on their planet and others. Certainly not a steel rim coated in plastic. 

“Oh, shi- uh, I mean shoot.” Peter quickly retracted his hands from the deformed wheel, which looked more like a twisted oval rather than the perfect circle it had been only a few moments prior. “I’m s-so sorry, Mr. Stark!” He stammered out, truly upset by the fact that he damaged his mentor’s car. “Oh god, I broke it. I didn’t mean to-to break your car.”

Tony shushed his protégé, smiling affectionately at the flustered teen he’d grown to love so much. “Kiddo,” he rested a hand on Peter’s bony shoulder in an attempt to ground him. “It’s fine,” Tony assured. “You didn’t break the car, and you can still drive it. The wheel is just… a little messed up. No biggie.”

“A little messed up?” Peter looked at Tony incredulously. “No, biggie!”

“Yep,” Tony said as he put his sunglasses on and leaned back against his seat. A disfigured wheel wasn’t a problem for the billionaire who created Avengers tech, Iron Man suits, and countless other machines. He and Peter could replace a steering wheel with their eyes closed. “Now buckle up.”

Peter did as he was told and reached around to his left and grabbed the seatbelt. But the strap wouldn’t release from its retracted position on the side of the car. After fumbling with it a third time, Peter used a bit more of his strength and yanked on the seatbelt, ripping it right off the wall. 

“Um…” Peter hunched in on himself and held out the torn seat belt so Tony could see it. He half expected the man to be furious, considering he ruined another piece of equipment. Instead of being angry, Tony laughed. The billionaire couldn’t stop smiling at how adorable the kid was.

“It’s okay, Pete,” Tony said once he’d calmed down enough to speak clearly. “Just take a deep breath and start the car.”

“O-okay.” Peter nodded, hesitantly putting his hands back on the wheel. His skinny body shuddered every time a car sped by, his spider-sense alerting him to the potential danger each vehicle possessed. Usually, his spider-sense could discern actual threats from possible dangers as well as the severity of each threat. 

But Peter had never driven before, not outside of the safety of a vacant parking lot anyway. His spider-sense didn’t know what to make of this situation and, since cars were technically death machines on wheels, it was merely alerting Peter to each possible threat that sped by. 

Tony watched Peter; his face pinched in concern. The young hero was normally jumpy, always on high-alert due to his enhanced senses and restless nature. But jerking away from the door every time a car or truck went by was pushing it. Clearly, something was bothering the kid, and it was more than the first-time driving jitters.

“Kiddo,” Tony started slowly, trying to convey some form of calmness through his voice, “are you feelin’ alright? You look a little...” he gestured to Peter’s tense posture and death grip on the wheel, “tense.”

Peter took a deep breath before nodding. “Y-yeah, I um… I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I guess.” He quickly stammered out an explanation while trying his hardest to ignore the icy chill that shot up and down his spine each time his spider-sense went off. “It’s just… my spider-sense keeps telling me that every vehicle that goes by is dangerous, and I kinda can’t help but react to it. I know we’re not in any immediate danger, b-but I just… I’m really nervous.” Peter bit his bottom lip and looked away, embarrassed at how childish he must sound. 

Tony was a busy man. There were plenty of other things he could have been doing rather than wasting his time trying to teach some poor, mutant teenager how to drive. It wasn’t Tony’s fault that his aunt May had to work all the time; therefore, she didn’t have the time to do much of anything with him, let alone practice driving. 

“I’m just wasting your time,” whispered Peter, convinced that those words were true. 

Those five words hit Tony hard, piercing his chest and traveling straight through his weathered heart. The air was knocked from his lungs, and it felt like someone was twisting a knife inside his chest. Tony didn’t have the words to articulate how debilitating the pain was. Somehow, those words hurt more than anything else he had ever experienced. Being tortured in Afghanistan, Obie’s betrayal, being shot out of the sky by aliens, taking hits during Avenger missions, fighting with his husband and the team; none of it came close to the intense pain those words carried. And Tony knew why.

It was because his kid said them. 

The fact that Peter sounded so sure only intensified the pain. Peter truly believed that Tony was wasting his time on him. And as awful as it might sound, Tony wasn’t surprised that Peter felt this way. 

It was no secret that Peter had a hero complex to match Tony’s and that low self-esteem plagued the young vigilante on a daily basis. He constantly beat himself up and apologized for anything and everything, convinced that everything that went wrong was his fault. Peter believed that he was a waste of time and was a burden to everyone close to him.

And that was something Tony could not allow Peter to believe because it wasn’t true.

Unable to speak, Tony leaned across the console and wrapped his arms around Peter, pulling his skinny body close and hugging him tightly. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from breaking down into tears. Tony needed to be strong for his kid and tried his best to remain calm. But when Peter began to cry into his shoulder softly, Tony couldn’t help but let a few of his own tears fall. 

“Peter,” Tony started slowly, his one hand carding through the honey-brown curls tickling his chin, “I’m going to say something, and I need you to listen. Okay, bud?” He felt Peter nod against his chest and took that as a sign to proceed. 

“I am not wasting time when I spend time with you. Not when we’re in the lab, patrolling together, hanging out at the Tower, or when I’m helping you with stuff like this. The other Avengers adore you, Peter. They love when you visit, and they’re always so excited when they get to spend time with you; be it training or not. Pepper is so grateful when you help her with Stark Industry stuff and is always in a better mood when you’re around. And even though he’s got resting bitch face, Happy enjoys your company and is happy to drive you around. No pun intended.” The little joke pulled a small laugh from the teen, and Tony took it as a win.

“Your friends Ned and MJ care about you a lot. May loves you and would do anything for you. And so would I.” Tony paused, his next words lodged in his throat next to his heart. “And I… I know you don’t think very highly of yourself. I know you feel like a failure and that you aren’t good enough to deserve respect and love.” He wiped some of his tears away with the back of his hand in a futile attempt to compose himself. Still, the tears continued to fall at a steady pace, cascading down his cheeks and onto Peter’s head. “But you do, Pete. You deserve all of the good things this universe has to offer. Because you are a selfless, compassionate, loyal, giving, empathetic genius that tries to do nothing but good. Not to mention, you’re one hell of a hero.”

By now, Peter began crying again. His heart-wrenching sobs muffled against the billionaire’s shoulder. He didn’t believe what Tony was saying, not completely anyway. But his appreciation and thankfulness were there all the same. Peter trusted Tony more than anyone else in the entire world and knew the older hero well enough to know he wasn’t lying.

“You, Peter Parker,” Tony continued, “are not a burden. You have never been, and you never will be. I can’t stress this enough, kiddo. Peter, you mean more to people, to the world, than you realize.” Tony pulled back and rested his hands on Peter’s cheek, gently wiping the flowing tears with his thumbs. “I know you don’t believe me. But will you just take my word for it, yeah?”

A low chuckle escaped Peter’s thin lips, and he nodded. Why Tony thought so highly of him, he had no clue. But that didn’t stop him from hearing or acknowledging what his mentor said. And if Tony was openly crying while pouring his heart out inside a damaged car in the middle of the day, then it was unlikely he was lying.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.” Peter wiped his eyes, a large grin on his face. “That really means a lot to me.”

“There’s no need to thank me, kiddo. I’m just telling the truth.” Tony smiled, proud of who his kid was; as a scientist, a hero, and a person. He sat back and looked around the busy streets before coming to a conclusion he should’ve thought of earlier. “I think I know how to fix the driving issue.”

“You do?” Peter’s asked, his doe eyes filled with nothing but admiration and love for his father figure.

“Yeah.” Tony smiled. “I think it’s time we take a trip to the Compound.”

  
  


***********

Acres of trees and lush forest stretched out on either side of the road as far as Peter could see. A light breeze rustled the lime-green leaves that had just begun to emerge. Flowers popped up along the road and in the cracks of the cement. Winter released her grip on the east coast allowing spring to finally take hold, resulting in aesthetically pleasing sights throughout upstate New York.

And the best part; it was peaceful. No cars or trucks zipping by at worrying speeds, there were no screeching tires, honking horns, or traffic lights that stung Peter’s enhanced eyes. There were no parked cars to accidentally scratch or back into, and no civilians were crowding the sidewalks and milling about beside the streets. 

It was just Tony and Peter driving down one of the backroads leading to the Avengers Compound.

Typically, the Avengers resided at the Tower in Manhattan. But certain times of the year, they would spend a month or so up at the Compound to escape the city for a bit or to go over more extensive training exercises that a crowded city couldn’t accommodate. 

This time, it was just a vacation away from the city so the team could enjoy a quieter, more peaceful start to spring. And teaching Peter to drive provided Tony the perfect outlet to get him upstate and away from the stresses of school and hero work, even if it was just for a few days.

“I texted May,” Tony said as he watched the scenery pass by, “she said it’s fine for you to stay the weekend. And either Happy or myself will drive you home Sunday night.” 

Each Avenger, Peter included, had a room, clothing, and some of their personal belongings at both Avenger bases. So this last-minute change in plans wasn’t an inconvenience to anyone. If anything, Peter was ecstatic. He loved spending time with his pseudo-family.

“Okay. Sounds good, Mr. Stark.” Peter nodded, not taking his eyes off of the road. Driving wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. So long as you paid attention to your surroundings and concentrated on staying inside the painted lines, it was easy. Of course, he’d have to work on desensitizing his spider-sense, but that was a problem for another time.

“Do you think Mr. Rogers will make lasagna for dinner?” Asked Peter, a cheeky grin on his face. With his extremely enhanced metabolism, Peter was always hungry. And Steve just happened to be an excellent cook.

Tony smirked. “He definitely will if you want him to.” 

Peter had the entire team wrapped around his little finger. They would do anything he asked without a moment’s hesitation. But of course, being the sweet, innocent person he was, Peter had absolutely no idea. And Tony thought it was the cutest thing. 

The young arachnid was the nephew, little brother, and son the Avengers never had. And they loved him just as much as he loved them. They were unique, chaotic, and dangerous but a family nonetheless.

With minimal direction, Peter was able to drive the Bentley into the Avengers private parking garage and park. He turned the car off and turned to his mentor, patiently waiting for whatever Tony wanted him to do next.

“Ya know,” Tony patted Peter’s shoulder and smiled proudly, “you’re a really good driver, kiddo.” He wasn’t surprised. Peter excelled at everything he did.

“Really?” 

The way Peter immediately perked up at the praise made Tony smile. One of his genuine smiles filled with nothing but love and pride; a smile reserved for Peter alone. Tony tugged Peter forward into another tight hug and kissed his forehead. 

“Really.” The way Peter melted into his touch warmed the billionaire’s heart, and he couldn’t help but hold his kid tighter. “I love you, kiddo.”

Peter smiled against his father figure’s shirt, a strong sense of love and security washing over him. “I love you too.”


End file.
